Heroes: San Francisco Thanks Frontline Healthcare Workers

Curator. Downtown kiosk posters + posters delivered to hospitals and quarantine sites. July - September 2020

Artists: Nicole Dixon, Esther Elia, Kristin Farr, Juan R. Fuentes, Cliff Hengst, Tucker Nichols, Terri Loewenthal, Kelly Tunstall, Jenifer K. Wofford, Chelsea Ryoko Wong

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) Galleries presents HEROES: San Francisco Thanks Frontline Healthcare Workers, a timely poster series that celebrates and honors the dedication of healthcare workers caring for coronavirus patients. Conceived as a visual art love letter, the project transforms Market Street into a corridor of gratitude with forty kiosk posters stretching from the Embarcadero to the Castro. Smaller reproductions of the posters are distributed to San Francisco-based hospitals and quarantine sites, ensuring that the imagery not only brightens public spaces but also reaches healthcare workers directly as tokens of appreciation.

The series is both a tribute and a tool for recovery, engaging artists in the City’s response to the pandemic while embedding messages of care and resilience into the public realm. By situating art in communal spaces, the project reinforces critical public health practices and channels the healing power of creativity. SFAC Galleries Director and project curator Meg Shiffler explains, “Healthcare workers on the frontline continue to work tirelessly to care for those infected with the virus. This temporary public art poster series allows our arts community to express deep gratitude and is intended to lift the spirits of our remarkable healthcare professionals working in local hospitals and quarantine sites.”

The ten commissioned posters reflect the diverse voices of regional artists, ranging from emerging to established. Text-based, figurative, landscape, and abstract approaches all contribute to the tapestry of gratitude. Artist and SFAC Arts Commissioner Debra Walker notes, “The powerful images remind us of who are on the front lines of this crisis. These are the kinds of images that will trigger us to pull up our masks and distance from each other – to honor those heroes.” Participating artist Nicole Dixon adds, “In turbulent and hate-filled times it’s important to recognize that the protectors of the vulnerable, the givers and the healers are the preservers of humanity and the architects of a just and safe society. My art aims to help the protectors, givers and healers recognize the true power of their work.” Through these artworks, HEROES situates gratitude, public health, and artistic practice within the heart of the city’s recovery process.